Best way to de-tune?

[Greenman72]

Say you're playing a "normal" (EADG) bass, and suddenly you need to tune down a half-step (to play along with KISS, Alice In Chains, Poison, or Guns n Roses). What do you do?

 

[turf3]

Well, if you're just at home, twist the knobs. If it's on the bandstand and you need a rapid change, bring a second instrument tuned alternately.

 

[Lava]

- different bass, 3 seconds
- manually retune bass, 20 seconds
- Hx stomp tune down preset, 1 second

 

[pcake]

on stage or at rehearsal, best to have a tuned down bass - i keep a tuned down bass at home, too.

if you can play the songs in drop D without retuning the other strings, you could get a hipshot bass extender to drop your E string to D in a second.

 

[mikeswals]

I ended up getting a drop tune pedal for the few songs that suddenly get called.

 

[_Obra_]

By a pedal

 

[ardgedee]

My go-to answer is to play a 5-string. But it depends on the music - if it requires open strings, you gotta detune.

 

[Isaac_James]

My go-to answer is to play a 5-string. But it depends on the music - if it requires open strings, you gotta detune.

I've played some Eb standard songs on a 5 string (lots of old grunge songs are in Eb standard) and it definitely makes some stuff a little harder. Songs in drop D don't usually have the same issues, since the rest of the strings are still the same.

If I were playing a set that had songs in E and Eb, I'd probably keep a second bass on hand. Tuning up and down made my strings go dead a lot faster, back when I just had one bass at my disposal.

 

[sleddogn]

straight up refuse to play anything not 440

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Yeah, pedal. pretty foolproof these days. Or just get a Hipshot D-Tuner for the E string and memorize the new fingerings. Somebody did a thread on the pedal options:

Thread 'Best pedal to go from standard tuning to 1/2 step down?'

Jun 17, 2020

My band plays in both standard tuning and 1/2 step down to help the vocalist sing a few certain songs. Instead of re-tuning between sets a few times I would sure rather be able to have a pedal drop my tuning 1/2 step for me. I also prefer the way my bass plays tuned standard compared to drop tuned. I heard that with some drop tune pedals you have to sacrifice some tone - true or not I have no idea. I'd prefer to keep my tone as is.
Thanks.

• Pedulla-Player
• Replies: 14
• Forum: Effects [BG]

 

[Aberdumbie]

Playing old hymns requires an intimate knowledge of E-flat. So yeah, a de-tuned bass is required for a lot of my work..... And the no-pop cables are a MUST!

 

[SC Bassboy]

Say you're playing a "normal" (EADG) bass, and suddenly you need to tune down a half-step (to play along with KISS, Alice In Chains, Poison, or Guns n Roses). What do you do?

Aside from "Drop D" tuning, I've never heard of a cover band actually bothering to tune to match the recorded song. Most bands play a 1/2 step down anyway to help the singer's voice last through a 3 to 4 hour show.

 

[MCS4]

At home it is personal preference.

For live I would try to convince the band to play that one single Eb song in E instead. If that didn't work I would swap to a separate bass, since I would always bring a backup bass anyway.

 

[toastw]

Depends on the key. Can you just play a half-step down instead of tuning the instrument a half-step down?

 

[Deep Note]

The band I am in plays a few songs tuned down a half or whole step. I use a Digitech Drop pedal for those songs.

 

[guitarflinger]

The standard TalkBass response is:

ALWAYS BUY ANOTHER BASS

 

[Dana R Gregory]

When I am playing along with a playlist on my computer (iTunes), I take the mp3 and with a transposer, change it to a compatible key. For example, I took Blood and Roses and changed it from Eb to E so I don't have to keep retuning my bass. I have done this with several tunes. I stay in standard tuning and can play an entire playlist without interruption. Works for me.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Say you're playing a "normal" (EADG) bass, and suddenly you need to tune down a half-step (to play along with KISS, Alice In Chains, Poison, or Guns n Roses). What do you do?

I'd say talk to your guitarist. What are they doing before the "need" to tune down arrives? What are they doing when the "need" arrives? What will they do after the "need" passes? Your approach and available time going between song to song to consider what to do may be greatly influenced, necessarily by a guitarist in such a guitar-heavy realm of music. That's ultimately your answer. He/She/They will have 6 strings to detune/retune, potentially versus your 4 or maybe 5. Let them be the frontline on that point.

I'm in a cover band like this. The universal decision (which was made long before I joined, btw, as replacement bass player) was to do EVERYTHING as if it was recorded in E Flat. First, it helps the singer(s) of which I am one over the longevity of a show, vocally even if we can sing stuff in an E tuning. Second, it minimized guitar changes. No more playing the Roth-era Van Halen Stuff in E Flat, then switching guitar back and forth for the Haggar-era stuff in E, and on and on.... And so the stage flow and show was MUCH better. The last or least benefit is I didn't need to change instruments or do anything to them either.

You're going to have to work in consult with the guitarist on this one. If it isn't known already, you guys will have to figure out if a majority of songs are in E or E Flat (I suspect still E for the majority) and make some decisions. You'll either chose tuning as-recorded accuracy (and I GET that I promise) or flow of the show, unless... you have band bitch to hand detuned/retuned guitars and basses at every necessary turn. I personally would urge picking ONE key and sticking to it for the benefit of the audience, which benefits the club, which pays you the paycheck and which holds the cards to book you in future engagements if you have a great, engaging show that keeps everyone on the boil.

In another cover band I play in, you'll find my detuning need as interesting:

The band does Smashmouth "Walking on the Sun". It's in A Flat. The guitar player doesn't retune. Doesn't need to. But... the bass part and key signature instrumental part is using an open A Flat string and then double stop figures on what we think of as the D and G strings. I value accurate tuning when it's necessary to make parts sound right, especially with open strings. I also value show flow. The original recording is a bass ALL detuned to E Flat. What I did/still do is simply detune the A to A flat, and the E to E flat. The range of the song and the part is honored as-recorded. The D and G strings stay in standard tuning. Half the bass is detuned and the other half isn't. And everything sounds just like the record even if my fingering is slightly different by requirement. That allows the signature bass riff and range of the detuned bass to sound correct, but also HALVES the time of detuning and retuning since it's only two strings affected instead of four. EVERY other song in our setlist requires no E/Eflat machinations as we're not doing Roth-era Van Halen, or SRV or other things in E Flat, and also I'm using 5-string bass at times so 5-string stuff is always 5-string stuff no matter what the guitarist does.

To that end, there is NO reason if you had one or two or very few E flat songs, you could simply detune the E string to E Flat and leave the rest of the bass alone to facilitate song flow, correct range, and detuning/retuning. But that doesn't mean I would recommend that approach for a bunch of songs. I HAVE done this. Again, get with your guitarist and make some decisions/follow their lead on this one.

 

[Gecko 5]

The new band I'm in does 3 songs that I was bringing a 5 string for.
It's a pain swapping my 4 for a 5 for 1 song at a time, then switching back.
I'm a 4 string guy.
Just 3 weeks ago I discover the Hipshot Xtenders.
So much easier.
2 of the 3 songs I just needed an Eflat.
One song I need a low C. Still trying to figure that out

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Buy a Hipshot detuner or play a five?